The socially responsible European university: a challenging project

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Barnett ◽  
Carolina Guzmán-Valenzuela
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Sociology Of Knowledge ◽  
Culture War ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Comparative Higher Education ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
European University

Purpose This paper aims to propose a thesis about the historical evolution of the relationship of the European University in relation to the idea of social responsibility. Design/methodology/approach This paper is philosophical, conceptual and theoretical and in proffering a bold thesis, has an argumentative character appropriate to that style. Findings Three stages can be identified over the past 200 years in the relationship between the university and the matter of social responsibility, being successively tacit, weak and now hybrid. In the present stage, new spaces are opening for the university to transcend social responsibility, moving to a worldly and earthly responsibility. However, this new stage is having to contend against the university in an age of cognitive capitalism. As such, a large but hitherto unnoticed culture war is present, the outcome of which is unclear. Research limitations/implications The scholarship informing this paper is wide-ranging and multi-disciplinary (history, social theory, philosophy, critical higher education studies, literature on the idea of the university, comparative higher education, ethics and sociology of knowledge), as it has to be in sustaining the large thesis being contended for, and it has broad hinterlands, which can only lightly be intimated. Practical implications The key implication is that the idea of social responsibility is currently being construed too narrowly and that, therefore, universities – in developing their corporate strategies and missions – should be more ambitious and set their responsibility goals against horizons that go well beyond the social realm. Originality/value The thesis developed here is original in offering a three-stage theory of a 200-year evolution of the socially responsible European university. A new stage of an Earthly responsibility is glimpsed but it is having to contend with a continuing performative university, so leading to a hidden culture war and such that the future of university social responsibility is in doubt.

scholarly journals INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE OF USING ENDOWMENT FUNDS AS LEVERS OF SUSTAINABLE SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF UNIVERSITIES

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (27) ◽  
pp. 160-163
Author(s):  
J.D. Murmyilo ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Quality Of Education ◽  
Russian Society ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Russian Higher Education ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

This article analyzes the problems of addi-tional financing of the university and the possibility of considering them as a subject of social responsibility for Russian society. The possibility of improving the quality of education in higher education through the use of endowment assets is substantiated. The definition of endowment assets and funds is given. The level of development of this mechanism by the leading Russian uni-versities is determined. The author analyzes the statistics of successful foreign use of such a tool as endowment funds. This article attempts to establish the relationship be-tween the number of participants in endow-ment funds and the amount of funds raised. Also, the tasks necessary to develop an al-gorithm of actions that allow Russian higher education to use endowment assets have been formulated.

Quality assurance systems: enemies or allies of innovation in higher education institutions?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Ferreira de Mello Silva ◽  
Eduardo Raupp de Vargas
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
University Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Innovation In Higher Education

Purpose This study aims to examine the extant literature to analyze the relationship between quality assurance (QA) and innovation in the higher education context. Design/methodology/approach This study selected 63 articles through a systematic literature review in Scopus and Web of Science databases and performed a descriptive and thematic synthesis-analysis on the sample. Findings The research identifies several perspectives discussed on QA systems covering experiences, criticisms and practice implications. The literature review shows there is no clear consensus on whether innovation in higher education institutions (HEIs) is fostered or hindered by QA processes. However, it seems that the likelihood of innovativeness and positive QA outcomes are directly linked to how these processes are managed in universities. Research limitations/implications This review highlights the university management concerns that emerge with QA issues as it is not yet clear to what extent innovation is actually promoted in scenarios where QA is applied. Hence, this literature review could be considered comprehensive but not exhaustive. Further studies are recommended to improve the understanding of how HEIs can both innovate and ensure quality at the same time. Originality/value The paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge by advancing the opportunities and challenges that HEIs face due to QA system features.

Innovation in Higher Education

2015 ◽  
pp. 296-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dolores Gallardo-Vázquez ◽  
M. Isabel Sánchez-Hernández ◽  
M. Luisa Pajuelo-Moreno
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Organizational Vision ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Current State ◽  
Future Demands ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The University ◽  
Innovation In Higher Education

The issue of Corporate Social Responsibility has received increasing attention over the last few years. Organizations are introducing socially responsible practices in their strategies in order to be more competitive. At the same time, universities are also aware of the importance of the triple organizational vision (economic, social and environmental) and they are making a lot of actions to improve their performance. In this chapter, the authors state that innovation in Higher Education is an important fact and express the experience of innovation from socially responsible universities. These entities have to know their current state and the future demands from the different stakeholders with the intention of satisfy them. This chapter studies how to drive innovation and how to structure it at the university context, how to inform about University Social Responsibility and, finally, the benefits for socially responsible universities. Finally, in this chapter the authors link three important topics today: Corporate Social Responsibility, Universities, and Innovation. As a result, they propose a set of aspects in which Universities could innovate by improving their social responsibility.

Corporate social responsibility and payout decisions

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (9) ◽  
pp. 982-998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marwa Samet ◽  
Anis Jarboui
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Payout Policy ◽  
Stock Option ◽  
Share Repurchases ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Csr Strategies ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether and how corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance contributes to shape firms’ payout policy. In particular, it examines the influence of CSR performance on payout level and payout channel choice (dividend payment or share repurchases). Additionally, it examines the moderating role of CSR performance in the relationship between dividends and share repurchases. Design/methodology/approach Using 397 European companies listed in the STOXX Europe 600 over the period from 2009 to 2014, the authors employ regression analysis to explore the link between CSR performance and payout policy. Findings The first result shows that firms with high CSR performance engage more in payout policy. Second, when choosing between paying dividends and repurchasing stocks, firms with high CSR performance tend to prefer share repurchases. Finally, CSR performance plays an important role in determining the relationship between dividends and repurchases. Specifically, dividends and share repurchases seem to be more substitutable among socially responsible firms. Practical implications Firms that are able to develop successful CSR strategies can generate tangible benefits for their shareholders in the form of high payout levels. An increase in CSR expenditure does not lead to cut or minimize the cash flow paid out to shareholders. In addition, government and regulators have to oblige or at least encourage socially responsible firms to use executive stock option that are dividend protected, in order to reduce distortions in dividend policy. Originality/value This is the first attempt to investigate the association between CSR performance and share repurchase activities.

Assessing students' self-assessment ability in an interdisciplinary domain

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Alturki ◽  
Heiner Stuckenschmidt
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Master's Programs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Business Informatics ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to determine whether students' self-assessment (SSA) could be used as a significant attribute to predict students' future academic achievement.Design/methodology/approachThe authors address how well students can assess their abilities and study the relationship between this ability and demographic properties and previous study performance. The authors present the study results by measuring the relationship between the SSA across five different topics and comparing them with the students' performance in these topics using short tests. The test has been voluntarily taken by more than 300 students planning to enroll in the School of Business Informatics and Mathematics master's programs at the University of Mannheim.FindingsThe study results reveal which attributes are mostly associated with the accuracy level of SSA in higher education. The authors conclude that SSA, it can be valuable in predicting master's students' academic achievement when taking specific measures when designing the predictive module.Research limitations/implicationsDue to time constraints, the study was restricted only to students applying to master's programs at the Faculty of Business Informatics and Mathematics at the University of Mannheim. This resulted in collecting a limited data set. Also, the scope of this study was restricted to testing the accuracy of SSA and did not test using it as an attribute for predicting students' academic achievement.Originality/valuePredicting students' academic performance in higher education is beneficial from different perspectives. The literature reveals that a considerable amount of work is published to analyze and predict academic performance in higher education. However, most of the published work relies on attributes such as demographics, teachers' assessment, and examination scores for performing their prediction while neglecting the use of other forms of evaluation such as SSA or self-evaluation.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and tax incentives: the case of Tunisian companies

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Henda Kacem ◽  
Mohamed Ali Brahim Omri
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Corporate Culture ◽  
Tax Incentives ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Theoretical Foundations

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the question concerning whether tax incentives motivate companies to be socially responsible. This study, specifically, examines the impact of tax incentives for corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the societal practices of Tunisian companies. Design/methodology/approach This study uses multiple regression models to assess the effectiveness of tax incentives for companies to take responsible actions. The study was conducted on 71 Tunisian companies operating in different sectors. Findings The results reveal that there is a negative and significant association between tax incentives and CSR practices. Therefore, there is an inefficient use of these types of incentives. Practical implications The results of the study have important implications for investors and regulatory basis wishing to enhance CSR by giving tax incentives. Investment in social responsibility may improve the corporate culture and reduce the conflict in companies. Originality/value The theoretical contributions relate mainly to the originality of the conceptual model developed, to the literature review and to the theoretical foundations mobilized. In fact, the originality of this research is justified by the scarcity of previous study dealing with the relationship between tax incentives and CSR. Thus, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to investigate the impact of tax incentives for CSR on CSR practices.

Social Responsibility Practice Diagnosis applied to the Universidad del Valle- Northern Facility. Period 2014-2015

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (62) ◽  
pp. 66-81
Author(s):  
Adriana M. Moreno Moreno ◽  
Eduar Fernando Aguirre González
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Strategic Development ◽  
Strategic Issues ◽  
The North ◽  
The Social ◽  
The University ◽  
Social Management

Social Responsibility is a concept that has been approached from different perspectives by theoreticians and institutions. Initially, this was limited exclusively to companies, however, the creation of the Social Capital, Ethics and Development Initiative by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) sought to make educational institutions aware that, like any other organization, they are responsible for the externalities they generate in their environment and their stakeholders. This research approaches the concept of University Social Responsibility (USR) from the scheme proposed by the IDB, which proposes four axes of action for Universities’ CR: Responsible Campus, Professional and Citizen Training, Social Management of Knowledge and Social Participation. The Universidad del Valle has a strategic plan entitled “Universidad del Valle’s Strategic Development Plan” and Regionalization attached thereto. It has also developed its action plan and in the five strategic issues raised herein, its socially responsible approach is clearly identifiable. The North Cauca Facility wherein this study is being developed, even though it does not have a University Social Responsibility Management Model, has attempted to align its practices with its strategic affairs that broadly conform to the four axes proposed by the IDB. This research addresses a relevant and current issue inasmuch as it proposes to develop a diagnosis on the relationship between the four axes of Social Responsibility proposed by the IDB and the practice of Social Responsibility applied at the Universidad del Valle, North Cauca Facility, for the period 2014-2015. In order to answer the research problem, a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive type of study is used, given that the work was based on the documentary information available at the University, while the interviews with the directors of the Institution are used as a tool for oral history. The research method used is the case study, which allows to address a unit of analysis in depth, in this case the USR within the Universidad del Valle, North Cauca Facility.

A University Education

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Willetts
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
University Education ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The University ◽  
First Time ◽  
The Relationship

Universities have a crucial role in the modern world. In England, entrance to universities is by nation-wide competition which means English universities have an exceptional influence on schools--a striking theme of the book. This important book first investigates the university as an institution and then tracks the individual on their journey to and through university. In A University Education, David Willetts presents a compelling case for the ongoing importance of the university, both as one of the great institutions of modern society and as a transformational experience for the individual. The book also makes illuminating comparisons with higher education in other countries, especially the US and Germany. Drawing on his experience as UK Minister for Universities and Science from 2010 to 2014, the author offers a powerful account of the value of higher education and the case for more expansion. He covers controversial issues in which he was involved from access for disadvantaged students to the introduction of L9,000 fees. The final section addresses some of the big questions for the future, such as the the relationship between universities and business, especially in promoting innovation.. He argues that the two great contemporary trends of globalisation and technological innovation will both change the university significantly. This is an authoritative account of English universities setting them for the first time in their new legal and regulatory framework.

Graduates giving back – a mentoring program for MBA students

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 200-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Darwin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Master Of Business Administration ◽  
Mentoring Program ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mba Students ◽  
A Value ◽  
The University

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the challenges and obstacles encountered in the implementation of a mentoring program for Master of Business Administration (MBA) students at the University of South Australia (UniSA) Business School. The paper starts with an exploration into the need for a mentoring program, the trial and subsequent four years of implementation. The paper also explores the network model of mentoring and the reasons why this, rather than a more traditional model, was chosen for the program’s implementation. Design/methodology/approach – This exploratory case study uses data from over 600 students and their alumni mentors over a five-year period to evaluate and improve the program as well as cultivating a critical community of adult learners. Findings – Feedback from students indicates that the mentoring program is regarded by most as a value-added feature of their early learning as it offers support, if and when it is required, from those who have been there before. Research limitations/implications – Results are limited to one institution. However, as research into mentoring for higher education students is thin on the ground, this study contributes to our understanding of the positive impacts of mentoring on student success. Practical implications – This paper emphasizes the importance of business leaders giving back to their alma mater through mentoring current MBA students. It shows how mentoring can support learning and management development. Originality/value – This is an original study which explores ways to increase the learning of higher education students for positive social outcomes.

scholarly journals Communication of Socially-Responsible Activities by Higher Education Institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 483
Author(s):  
Libena Tetrevova ◽  
Jan Vavra ◽  
Simona Munzarova
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Cultural Development ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Communist Country ◽  
Public Higher Education ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
The Czech Republic

Higher education institutions play a fundamental role in the scientific, economic, social, and cultural development of each and every society. In view of new challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of their social responsibility and ability to effectively communicate the socially–responsible activities which are performed is growing. The aim of this article is to analyze and evaluate the scope and structure of socially-responsible activities communicated on the websites of public higher education institutions operating in a small post-communist country where education plays a traditional role—the Czech Republic, and to formulate recommendations for improvement of the level of communication of social responsibility by higher education institutions. Primary data was obtained using latent analysis of the content of the websites of all public higher education institutions operating in the Czech Republic. The CE3SPA method was applied. The survey which was performed shows that the level of communication of social responsibility by higher education institutions in the Czech Republic is low. Activities in the field of economic and social responsibility are communicated in the greatest scope. On the contrary, activities in the field of environmental responsibility are communicated the least. Public higher education institutions in the Czech Republic should therefore apply the measures proposed in the article, these also being transferrable to practice in other countries.

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